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Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Before & After: A Gray, White & Bright Kitchen



As with many kitchen renovations, this one began with cabinets that were worn and no longer worked properly and an overall function that did not meet the needs of the family whose young children had become teenagers. Then there was the matter of the orange hued wood, which between the trim, doors AND cabinets was simply overwhelming. My client loved the clean look of gray and white so that's where we began.




In addressing the function, the existing peninsula restricted flow in the old kitchen, so bye-bye it went along with the other bottleneck feature, the closet style pantry. A narrow island with seating and a pair of cabinet style pantries cleaned up the look and improved the flow.




Shaker cabinets were built up to ceiling height and frosted glass was added in order to add interest while concealing storage of utilitarian items. A wood hood and appliance garage add to the useful, but good looking function. Classic style pendants over the island, and a more modern drum light over the table as well as a mix of cabinet hardware keep the look interesting.



Painted a deep shade of the same gray of the rest of the cabinets, a furniture style hutch fills a once unused wall and makes the ideal location for beverage or food service when entertaining. With the extra storage in the hutch, the once cluttered butler's pantry is now home to "command central."



After my help with the layout, design and most of the materials selection, my clients finished the final details on their own. I am thrilled with the end result, I love the pops of green and the fun Ikea fabric curtain over the sink, as well as the stools at the island and chairs and light fixture at the vintage table. Kudos to a job well done!


--------------Cathy--------------

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  
Contact me for more information about my design services.

Monday, October 31, 2016

Before and After: A kitchen refresh

"Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater." I am a firm believer in trying to make the most of the existing elements in a space before considering replacing or changing them. Often budgetary constraints dictate creative thinking in that regard, but sometimes it just makes sense. Such was the case in this project.
When my CSIL decided that it was finally time to give her kitchen an update, we knew that most of the cabinetry would stay and get updated with paint which would play well with the existing granite counters. The big changes that were going to happen in this space were the addition of hardwood flooring, a different back splash and a new, larger window.


Adding that window had me rethinking the existing upper cabinets and how we could make a statement in what was chosen for the new uppers.

We loved the interest of glass fronted doors and since the counters were black we decided to play that
 by accenting the doors in black paint.







The gray-blue tile on the floor was bossy in terms of color so it was time to say "bye bye"

What a difference the hardwood makes. It ties in well with the flooring throughout the rest of the home.
Since the pegboard and John Boos work cart lent such function to the kitchen in what would other wise be a dead space, we kept them.

The original cooking space was set up with an off-kilter arrangement of upper cabinets.

Removing those completely and adding the matte black hood over the textural back splash tile gives the area a clean, impactful look.

Details such as the crystal knobs,

matte black pulls,

white, textured subway tiled installed on the vertical and graphic pattern on the Roman shade keep the kitchen interesting without overwhelming the small space.

My "foodie" sister and brother in-law are loving their updated kitchen and I am thrilled to have collaborated on yet another space in this home.
I think we have done nearly every corner of Dover Road, go here to see more!

--------------Cathy--------------

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  
Contact me for more information about my design services.

Monday, August 29, 2016

My new website is live!

The last couple of months I have been working with the lovely Eva PenzeyMoog to create a        Cathy Wall Designs LLC website and today I am ready to share it with you.

Pop on over and have a look, I would love to hear what you think!


My goal is to use the blog to reveal finished projects and give a bit more information about the spaces  I work on and the process of updating them. Since I am out of practice with blogging these days, we shall see how that goes!!!



--------------Cathy--------------

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  
Contact me for more information about my design services.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

This is it for now.... and a Room Rx

Hi there! It's been a while, I know, over a year. Even though I haven't been blogging, I have been busy with Cathy Wall Designs LLC projects as well as getting a few things freshened up in my own home. After my hiatus, I have decided that I will no longer be blogging. As much as I have loved the camaraderie, the sharing and the feedback, I found that properly done, keeping up with the blog was too time consuming and was feeling the effort zapping my creativity for my Cathy Wall Designs LLC work. 

Over the years, this blog has been a great means of showcasing my work, ideas and thoughts on design related things and so I will keep it as a reference for current and future clients and friends. I would love to stay in touch with all of you so going forward, the best way to stay current and see what I am up to is to follow me on Houzz, or Facebook, or Instagram or Pinterest

Now, for the promised Room Rx, my son's bedroom. His room was done when we moved into our home 9 years ago and was not only looking a bit tired, but did not suit an almost 17 year old. Since he was away for the spring semester at Conserve School, the time was right to get the job done and surprise him for his homecoming.

The project began with zero budget except for a couple of cans of paint for the walls and ceiling. My idea was to use up all of the "stuff" lurking around my house, like the plaid throw, (my inspiration) some old lamps, a stool and a few cans of left over paint.


 I can't say I did not buy a thing though as I found a pair of Nate Berkus curtains on sale at Target for $15 which became the box spring cover, euro sham and seat cushion for the desk chair. I also needed a new duvet cover so when I saw this one from Ikea, I grabbed it. While at Ikea I found these rugs and bought 4 which later became the valence and the stool cover.


I cut up the rugs and hand stitched them together for the valence. It took forever and my hand hurt like heck when I was done, but for about $12 I am pleased with the result.

The chair was a purchase from several years ago which had been waiting for a make-over. I tried doing it on the super cheap by researching and attempting to "paint" the upholstery. I even posted my efforts on Instagram. It was an epic fail. Despite watering down the paint and using fabric  medium, the cushions were stiff and rough as sandpaper, not good for a comfy reading chair.

So I bit the bullet and had it re-upholstered. I love it.
(the lampshade was sprayed with chalkboard paint and I added the design with chalk)

A thrift store oil painting, a favorite saying and a wash of paint became a hip piece of art.
A tea towel and a zigzag embroidery stitch made for a good looking lumbar pillow. And no... not one zipper was put in any pillow I sewed. Envelope closures all the way for this DIY-ADD girl.

Here is where it all began....

My son was thrilled with the changes and spends lots of time studying and hanging out in his room. And I might add that it hasn't looked this good since these photos were taken 
(props to Katie Wall Photography for them.)  Ahhhhhh, teenagers!


Thank you for all of your support over the past few years my friends!!!!


--------------Cathy--------------

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  
Contact me for more information about my design services.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

I know.... it's been a while

My plate has been full, and my focus has been on things such as...

scheming on dorm decor, 

crafting dorm art

then moving my girl off to college for the first time 
and getting her room pulled together so it feels happy and homey. 


Also on my docket,
updating a sun room for a repeat client.


Designing built-ins and a fresh look for this family room.


Working on a variety of projects for this charming home.

 And creating design plans for some other delightful clients.
 


Oh.... and then there is the knitting that I have recently become quite fond of
thanks to a lovely and patient friend....

That is why I hope you will forgive my absence from the blog-o-sphere.
For now I am on blog hiatus while I decide what the best and most fulfilling use of my time is.
In the meantime, I will be attempting to use Facebook and Instagram better in order to keep you up to date on my work and other happenings, so I don't plan to disappear completely!


--------------Cathy--------------

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  
Contact me for more information about my design services.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Chairish Challenge

Are you familiar with Chairish?

A treasure trove of unique, high quality, pre-loved home furnishings and decor.
Chairish is a great on-line resource for buying or selling such pieces and the site is easy to navigate. Searches can be done by the piece, style or city, further narrowed by price, maker, 
color and shipping options.

There are so many interesting offerings, I could loose track of time wandering the Chairish website!

A challenge was presented to me by Chairish of choosing an accent chair and creating a bold, 
bright room around it.
This pair of quirky vintage Broyhill chairs in lime green caught my fancy...

In searching and discovering Chairish, I also found this fabulous rug, perfect for the look I was envisioning.


Nothing is more fun than designing a room where the sky is the limit and budget is no issue. 
My aim was a neutral, yet textural background 
with a high voltage dose of color delivered with the chairs, the rug and a glorious piece of art.

The rug inspired a collected, global feel, achieved with interesting textiles like the Hmong homespun pillows and the Moroccan Wedding poufs.
A simple, classic sofa, a few other Mid-Century pieces and 
this room came together as I had hoped.

For sources, check out my Pinterest board, Global Bright

What do you think? 
Go check out Chairish 
and leave a comment 
telling me what accent chairs you would choose 
to create a bright, colorful space!


--------------Cathy--------------

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  
Contact me for more information about my design services.
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